Temptation
by Dragonmorph
Summary: There is one rule and sometimes temptation leads to regrets and loss. The Elric brothers follow their own path, but even then, choices can lead to consequences never imagined. That one mistake of the past. Parody of Tale of Tales's The Path. One-shot.


**I love **The Path**! It's one of those times when I'm brave enough to watch a horror game just to find out it embodies so much interesting things! I have my Full Metal Alchemist obsession at the moment so why not combine the two? The idea sounded pretty good, in my head, to be a one-shot. It gives me an excuse to use poetry here too.**

**What is **The Path**? **The Path** is a game or by others, an art; based on Red Riding Hood. It follows six girls who arrive at the path and are told one rule: Go to grandmother's house and do not leave the path! Of course you'll want to let your inner rule-breaker out and wander into the forest. The game follows exploration, and collecting to add to its beauty. It's creepy, but wonderfully done. Try it yourself as I cannot spoil the story.**

**This version is a parody of **The Path**. It follows the storyline of the manga/anime, but at the same time is warped to fit this particular concept. I know the map so it's not hard to figure out what's accurate and what's fake. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tale of Tales's The Path nor Full Metal Alchemist.**

**Enjoy!**

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.  
>~Henry David Thoreau<p>

* * *

><p><span>Temptation<span>

Intro:

A wail pitched the air with its loud noise. The young blonde girl sat as a grown-up would, but the childlike figure was covered in tears and the letter she held was soaking too. She mumbled the words "mum" and "dad" through her sobs and sniffles which caught on to the two boys standing by the door. They were still clueless of the entire scene, but the eldest one caught on after he caught the words needed to fulfill his younger brother's question. The flicker in the coppery eyes recognized the cry of despair and slowly approached his friend to assure her.

"It's alright, Winry…" The younger brother said nervously.

Winry sniffled. "Mom and dad… are dead!" She lost her control on the last word and broke into racking sobs.

Both brothers looked helpless and sympathetic at one another.

"Brother?" The copper-eyed one said.

"Al, let her alone. She lost her parents." The older one replied. _Unlike us, our 'dad' was an idiot._

Alphonse looked towards Winry, and reached out, but stopped himself, deciding not to make the move. He already thought of ways to cheer her up, but he knew she was stubborn on those kinds of subjects. He imagined her redden-eyes squint with an angry emotion, spurting: 'You don't know! You never knew what it's like to lose your mom!' He thought it in his mind, but losing his mom and the fact he forced his silly mind to make her say such, he felt he hit a nerve. His brother, Edward, wouldn't bear to see that day either.

Pinnako watched over the three wearily, but she refused to not aid her granddaughter in her time of grief. She looked to Edward and Alphonse, pulling out her cigarette and said, "Boys, you should be heading home. It's getting late and your mother will be worried."

The boys jumped at their mother remaining alone. They immediately rushed to the door and squirmed in who could turn the doorknob first. Ed caught it first and fell face-flat as Al tumbled into the grass beside him. They were dazed for the moment, but regained themselves when the sky was tinted a navy blue. The porch lights and lantern lit the pathway, but not enough to dim down the eerie sense.

Alphonse was the first to make a noise, though a worried gulp while his brother clenched his fists and stared at the long walk home. None of them moved, but Pinnako didn't urge them forward. She knew they were only small boys, but she cannot deny the courage burning like a raging fire within their souls. In time, they would show the fury for the last of their kind. Edward was the first to walk to the entrance of the path and his brother quickly followed behind.

They continued to walk, but they were oblivious to the door of their last warmth closing and the glowing white cloth swaying, waiting.

Failure:

The two brothers walked on the path and relied heavily on their memories and the night vision from their eyes and the moon's shafts of light. Even the help didn't do too much to ease the worries of both homes waiting for them to arrive at Trisha Elric's home safely. They were only halfway when Alphonse shivered hard enough to catch Ed's attention.

"Al, what's wrong?" Edward asked irritably. "We're almost home."

Alphonse shook his head. "Something feels wrong, brother. I can feel it."

"C'mon Al! There are no such things as evil spirits or whatever you complain about at night."

"…" He looked towards the edge of the path silently. _Maybe brother is right._

…

A young girl no older than six pranced across the pasture in her swaying white dress and glowing aura. She watched the two boys walk on the path and smiled when they showed no sign of walking off nor do the minds share regrets. She almost had her regrets when she unintentionally caught the eye of the defensive Alphonse Elric. Her ghostly presence evaporated into thin air when the young brother tugged on another's shirt. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when they ignored her and she returned to her mortal shell, watching and waiting to guide them back.

The boys reached their home and entered quietly into its walls. The girl backed away from the house and flew back to the middle.

…

Edward and Alphonse noticed the blinking lights; signals of their mother guiding them back. They followed eagerly to the door and entered, but Al stopped at his tracks after his brother sprinted in. He looked towards the path and thought if he really did see something. He grinned, embarrassed to think such, and walked into the house and towards the open arms waiting for him.

**You did not find the chimera. He waits between the book cover.**

Success:

What Edward desired most of all is adventure and danger in his life. He took after his father: restless and angry.

Edward left the Rockbell's home, feeling guilty yet relieved he had a parent to care for him when Winry lost her parents. He wasn't alone in his silent grief when his brother wanted to assure her, but didn't know how. He also envied Al's soft side like their mother when he didn't shield himself against the tears. Oh, Ed felt like a fool.

He never felt like the walk was long, not when the road looked like a dead man's grave. This time, this walk felt forever and creepier if he started at any moment. Edward turned to see if his brother was there and he saw the pale look on Al's face including the impatient look of Pinnako. He knew he had to start soon and walked forward towards the dirt road and left behind the house that would soon hog the light he may or may not see again.

Ed felt the warm breath of his living brother follow behind him as they walked down the hill and towards their home. He knew he heard a muffled sound, but didn't hear Pinnako's words quite well. Shrugging it as an insult, he continued walking.

"Brother…" Alphonse said.

Edward stopped, but didn't turn around. "Yes, Al?"

"Did you hear Pinnako?" He replied softly. "She said to stay on the road."

The older brother snorted. "Yeah, yeah…"

He ignored the worried look on Al's face and moved forward. It was then he thought of the words Al repeated from Pinnako. _Stay on the road? That's easy enough, but wait, I remember the shortcut the three of us took together. It means going off the path though. Why not? We'll be home faster than this! _A mischievous grin crept upon his face and even in the dark, the light slightly focused on the wide mouth forming a half "C" revealing a plan.

The boy in front suddenly stopped in his tracks and his follow crashed into him though both held their stand on the road. Al rubbed his nose and moaned from the collision, but he immediately stared in disbelief when his brother didn't know a tantrum, but laughed manically.

"Brother?" He asked worriedly.

Edward grinned. "Nothing, Al. I just got this brilliant idea to get home."

"But we're hal—"

"Yeah, yeah. Look, Al. We can get home faster if he got our shortcut."

"But… Did Pinnako say-?"

"She's just an old witch." He sighed, his golden eyes warping into another sign of irritation. "Nobody will notice. Besides, we should get back to mom as soon as we can."

Alphonse hesitated at the softness and the honeyed words his older brother laid to persuade him. "I…" He gave up trying to argue with his brother. "Fine, but it's your fault if we get in trouble in any way."

The evil gleam shone by the shafts' help. "I knew you'd see my way. Lets go!"

Edward stepped off the dirt and onto the lush grass. Alphonse gingerly lagged behind him.

…

Edward could've sworn the sky wasn't as dark and eerie as before. The sky lacked a decent moon and the hue turned red like blood. He felt his own veins filled with crimson shudder from the change in temperature. He sensed something was unnatural. He already spun around to see a strange ghostly figure meters away from him and Al. she was no older than six and smiled brightly. His blood chilled just seeing the strange girl and her transparent look.

Al tugged at his brother's sleeve as a sign he saw the pale girl too. Both boys gulped, unsure what to do or how to feel. The copper-eyed boy faced the way they came, but all he saw was the pitch black wall and no sign of a road to go home. Ed focused on the girl dancing and felt her presence enter his mind as she silently landed on the grass and opened and closed her mouth as if she was singing. She ran further into the further and beckoned the watchful one to join her. Ed hesitated.

"Al, should we follow her?" He whispered.

"She might lead us out of here." Al shrugged, feeling a hint of triumph of being right.

Ed made a face. "Who knows. She might help us."

Both of them followed the girl who stopped continuously, to their irritation, to look towards the hidden path and points though they see nothing but pitch black. She stopped again, and pointed towards the back way. When the two boys looked again, Ed seethed and spun around to see the girl disappeared. The forest gotten lighter, but he still felt vulnerable for a strange reason.

In the distance was an abandoned item. The duo questioned it to be a trap or just left there. They both agreed to go together through the forest now that their guide turned out to be a deceiver. They picked up a dusty brown book and Ed took the burden of opening it to see if anything will pop out. Nothing, but in the corner of his eye, he sees a memory of the book shelf back at home. All the more to dread missing his mom.

_Knowledge and the science to learning about the world._

_It shares good, and the bad ideas._

_Sometimes I want to know more, _

_But the true voice lies locked away from our grasp._

Al's curiosity got the best of his fear as he took the book and blinked at the text written in Latin and the transmutation circles involving humans. He looked to his brother who shrugged unsure himself of what it meant. He dropped the book and started an exploration and the two marched forward cautiously.

Both felt their souls twitch and through their eyes they saw pale armor hovering over their viewing instrument. They hurried over and stared long and wide at the use and the familiarity of it just like in their home. A spear laid piercing through the chest as if a man once lived then decayed through a battle-ready suit.

_Metal rusts on the grey metallic item. _

_Made for battle, something inevitable._

Ed felt something strange like a bond between the armor and his brother who was oblivious to the fact. He tugged his brother's shirt collar and forced him to follow before the force pulls him closer and performed any harm. Al was startled by the sudden push forward, but didn't argue and trotted behind his brother.

"Brother, this place gets creepier by the second. Where are we?"

"No idea, Al. We're lost all thanks to that little girl." Ed spat, his hated directed on his foolishness. "We probably should look for help."

The Elric brothers continued to walk through the endless darkness and many items were found relating to their lives. Edward felt he was ready to throw one of his "famous" tantrums, but Alphonse tried to his to calm him down. Ed then realized not even complaints would get them out of the mess. They took the risk and now they're paying for it they both knew solemnly. Thoughts they knew came rushing as they approached an island and the girl with her bright blue eyes and braided pigtails skipped with her white dress swaying.

_The apron we knew of our mother's cooking;_

_The warmth, the safety and the content stomach._

_A shadow reminded us of bitter times_

_The bulky man_

_The one who betrayed the ones he loved_

_If he ever did._

_The laundry told us of time_

_We needed to wait_

_Before we can be cleansed_

_No waiting can help_

_It must be helped._

_Homunculus_

_Terrifying human beasts!_

_No that's our nicknames_

_The stories speak of us as mere_

_No god rules us_

_Is there one?_

_Only artificial humans show power._

_The grave holds victims of war. We think of her, the one who lost and cannot bring back._

They saw the grave, everything they saw before appear in front of them. The girl's blue eyes turn yellow like a lion's, but her face never screwed into a sheer malevolent look. She looked pleadingly to the two unhappy boys hoping to turn them around one last time. The two looked at each other with courageous faces, but looked back with eyes gleaming without trust for the stranger. She frowned, and murmured "big brother" under her breath until she evaporated and disappeared for the last time in the golden eyes of the brothers.

A woman with wavy black hair, astonishing purple eyes and a sexy look approached the boys. Edward sensed something was wrong, but his eyes widened as she slowly turned into their mother though the boys' minds were tackled in the making. They only saw their mother with her soft smile and glow seeing her boys. The island transformed into a house and she opened her arms to welcome her children.

The boys hesitated at first. Did they really go home and avoid the evil place? They shook their heads, still absorbing the scene.

The woman cocked her head. "What's wrong? Did something happy at the Rockbell's?"

Ed shook his head. Al did the same, but they kept their mouths shut.

"Don't worry my sons. Mother's here. Don't you want to be here?"

The boys heard the honeyed voice and ran to the imposter, hugging her tightly until they saw her fall to the ground and a transmutation circle lay before them. The book told them about the forbidden arts and here they are with a mother who collapsed and her breathing halted. They grabbed everything for the soul in panic and tried to transmute a human being. A purplish-light shimmered, but it turned black soon after.

…

The sky was dawn and pouring rain. Al was the first to wake up, all groggy and felt very ill and exhausted. He tried to rise, but his ounce of strength was weakening. He shook his brother's body that finally stirred and got up, sharing the same condition to both boys' dismay. They stood on their shaky legs and faced their home. With all they got left, they walked towards the house. Small steps and quivering bodies they moved and moved until the door awaited them.

…

A room is filled with a library of a crimson red hue.

The door opened to reveal a war room with weapons and armor. Blood soaked the wall.

Another opened to reveal a kitchen with knives and groceries scattered across the floor.

A door leaded to another door of a sunset and many moving shadows belong to humans.

Up the stairs, water is heard flowing and clothes fall from the sky, ripped up.

In the hallway leading to the door are pictures of the known homunculus.

The last door opened.

…

A room is filled with blood and broken limbs.

Chalk rolled across the floor and marked all over the circle of grotesque design.

Eerie eyes and a scary creature looked at you upside down and breathed heavily.

Flashes of pictures.

Smiling children.

Limp body of a woman.

A dog-like chimera and the girl in dress next to it.

The books

Lost limbs

A giant gate and You.

The crying out of "ALPHONSE!"

_My brother, he's my brother…_

**You found the chimera.**

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><p><strong>I swear I got freaked out just finishing this at 1 am. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story of choices.<strong>

**Know if you are lazy or clueless, read ahead to discover the interpretations if you do wish to figure out yourself.**

**The chimera is the wolf of The Path. Also, the chimera's the bad influence while in Red Riding Hood, it's "avoid the wolf he's bad news." The dog chimera that belonged to Greed tried to trick Alphonse. Chimera were humans that suffered bad intentions from alchemy and received bad influence to use on others. Nina is the girl in white. Her father followed a bad desire for his title and got her into becoming a chimera.  
><strong>

**Some say the failure is the easy life where you're careful. The success part explains the risks in life you're willing to take. Both share its consequences though you probably know which was the worst. **

**I know Lust isn't Envy, but I just chose her since she wanted to start the sacrifice stuff thing first I think. Also, lust for thrills? Lust= desire? Envy is just.. envying a ride…**

**The path is basically Ed and Al's way of trying to bring their mother back, but they don't realize that at first. It's just the temptation and desire for their mother's smile that lead to the regret and loss in their childhood. Same for the Red sisters. They did something that affected their way of thinking. They become more mature while one piece of them dies.**

**I'm just adding this to say thanks for a great friend in helping me think out interpretations of the show.  
><strong>

**Thank you for enjoying the story!**


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